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And he sees signs a similar relationship might be in store for Jackson’s designated successor, agency air chief Gina McCarthy.

“You know I got along very, very well all of that time with Lisa, and she and I became very close friends,” Inhofe told POLITICO on Monday. “And she would always answer my questions. Publicly. You know, in meetings, live on TV, with total honesty.”

“I know a lot of Republicans didn’t agree with that. They didn’t like her. Well, I liked her,” Inhofe said. “She has always been honest with me.”

As for McCarthy, he said the two had spoken earlier that day after President Barack Obama announced her nomination.

“I just talked to her on the phone,” Inhofe said. “And … she said: ‘I’m going to be exactly like that. We’re going to be close. We’ll differ in positions on things. But we’ll be honest with each other, and we’ll be friends.’”

That’s good enough for Inhofe to support McCarthy. “Yes, I would” be fine with her confirmation, he said.

That’s probably a sign of the road ahead for McCarthy: some tough questions and scrutiny, to be sure, but nothing likely to keep her from getting the job.

“It’s not going to be unfair,” Inhofe said of the confirmation process.